The AQ | |
 Eric Alexander and David Hazeltine at the Artists' Quarter in 2013 | |
| Address | 408 Saint Peter St. |
|---|---|
| Location | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Type | Nightclub |
| Opened | Early 1970s (Nicollet Avenue location) 1995 (Jackson Street location) 2001 (Downtown Saint Paul location) |
The Artists' Quarter (a.k.a. the AQ) was a well-known musician-owned and operated jazz club in the Twin Cities.
The club opened in the early 1970s in Minneapolis, Minnesota at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue South. [1] After the original club closed in 1990, drummer Kenny Horst opened a new location at the corner of Fifth and Jackson streets in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1995. The club moved to the basement of the historic Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul in 2001. [2]
The club featured both local and touring musicians. Many famous musicians played at the AQ, including Pepper Adams, Roy Haynes, Mose Allison, Joey DeFrancesco, Sweets Edison, Lew Tabackin, Eric Alexander, Jack McDuff, Dewey Redman, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Wallace Roney, and others. Lee Konitz, Roy Haynes, David Hazeltine, Ira Sullivan, Bill Carrothers, Dean Granros, Phil Hey Quartet, Atlantis Quartet, Bobby Peterson, Bob Malach, Andrés Prado, and Billy Holloman have all recorded live albums at the Artists' Quarter. The club was voted one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world in 2009 by Down Beat magazine, [3]
Additionally, the AQ hosted the Soapboxing Poetry Slam, home of the 2009 and 2010 National Poetry Slam Championship Teams.
On October 7, 2013, owner Kenny Horst announced that he would be closing the club on January 1, 2014, due to rising costs since his landlord died in 2012. [2] On October 28, 2013, St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman pledged to keep the AQ open, though no details were shared at that time. [4] As of January 1, 2014, the club is closed.
Roy Haynes earned a Grammy nomination for his drum solo, “Hippidy Hop,” from the live album Whereas, recorded at the club over the weekend of January 20, 2006 (which mayor Chris Coleman officially proclaimed “Roy Haynes Weekend”).
Saint Paul is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center of Minnesota's government. The Minnesota State Capitol and the state government offices all sit on a hill close to the city's downtown district. One of the oldest cities in Minnesota, Saint Paul has several historic neighborhoods and landmarks, such as the Summit Avenue Neighborhood, the James J. Hill House, and the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Like the adjacent city of Minneapolis, Saint Paul is known for its cold, snowy winters and humid summers.
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